According to experts, although it has only been held for two seasons, the Da Nang Asian Film Festival has created a space for nurturing talents. This is one of the important initial steps towards establishing a film ecosystem, contributing to the development of cultural industries.
A total of 63 films were introduced in the festival's categories and programmes, including Asian films (13) and Vietnamese films (10), the Vietnam Today Cinema programme (18 films), French Cinema Spotlight (8 films), selected films by director Dang Nhat Minh (7 films), films about Da Nang (4), and Varan documentaries (3). There were 14 awards, including the Asian Film Award decided by the Asian Film Jury, the Vietnamese Film Award decided by the Vietnamese Film Jury and several other awards.
In the Asian Film category, the Best Screenplay Award was given to the film “Nhung manh doi dang gia” (Valuable Lives), the Best Actor prize went to Wu Kang Ren for his role in “Eternal Wish”, and the Best Actress title was awarded to Yuumi Kawai for her role in “Ann’s Life”. In the Vietnamese Film category, Thai Hoa and Phuong Anh Dao won the Best Actor and Best Actress awards for their roles in the films “Con Nhot mot chong” (Nhot must marry) and “Mai”, respectively. The Best Director prize went to Tran Thanh for “Mai”, while the award for Best Ensemble Cast was given to the crew of the film “Lat mat 7: Mot dieu uoc” (Face Off 7: One Wish).
The highlight of the event was the award for Best Director, which honoured Pham Thien An for the film “Ben trong vo ken vang” (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell) and the Best Asian Film award, which went to “Cu Li khong bao gio khoc” (Culi never cries) by director Pham Ngoc Lan. The festival recognised the remarks of independent films with the contributions of young directors, making significant achievements. Most of these films won several awards at international film festivals.
Another important event highlight was the workshop series on “nurturing talents”, which included basic acting classes with instructors from the RoK and advanced acting with instructors from Vietnam and Japan, attracting many young cinema enthusiasts. The basic acting class alone received around 450 applications, and after two casting sessions in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, about 20 students were selected. The advanced acting class also attracted numerous applicants, selecting 20 students through their applications.
Ngô Phương Lan, Chairwoman of the Association for Promotion and Development of Cinema and Director of the second Da Nang Asian Film Festival, stated that the event selected and honoured outstanding, humane, and artistically innovative films. The event provided professionals with many opportunities and is associated with various other fields, including tourism. However, the challenge remains to maintain professional continuity in activities to create a solid foundation, international reputation, and preparation for the next edition.
After receiving the film achievement award, in addition to joy, People’s Artist Director Dang Nhat Minh highly valued the contribution of literature to cinema saying, "My films are greatly influenced by literature, especially folk poems and proverbs. Some people have told me that I am working for cinema now, I should forget literature. I replied, how can I forget, literature is the foundation that has nurtured my cinema. For me, literature is very important. In general, a director needs to understand literature, music, painting, etc. If they do not understand and are not good at it, how can they create works that are both lofty, concise, and natural?".
Dang Nhat Minh's name has been closely associated with many famous films including “Bao gio cho den thang muoi” (When the Tenth Month Comes), “Thi xa trong tam tay” (The Town Within Reach), (Thuong nho dong que” (Nostalgia for the Countryland), “Hanoi mua dong 1946” (Hanoi in Winter 1946), “Mua oi” (The Guava Season), “Dung dot” (Don't Burn), and “Hoa nhai” (The Scent of Green Papaya). His films almost always feature continuity and consistency as he writes the screenplay and directs himself. Each work is imbued with the cultural spirit and life of the Vietnamese people.
Besides filmmaking, few people know that he also authored many literary works. The poem recited by the character teacher Khang in the film "When the Tenth Month Comes," were written by the director himself: " When the tenth month comes / Rice ripens amidst storms on the fields / We leave behind the long days of waiting / Losses endured sacrifices pains / When autumn sky remains green above our heads."
